The present invention relates broadly to a missile receiver system, and in particular to a hardwire missile receiver coupler apparatus.
In the area of missile communication systems for missiles that are still on the ground the most common practice was to transmit command and control signals to the missile via the missile's space antenna. In order to communicate with the missile by these means, it was necessary in the prior practice is to use either an R.F. switch in place of the coupled line network or to couple into the missile antenna with a coupler antenna. However, if the R.F. switch fails to operate properly by failing to switch from either the ground mode to the airborne mode or visa versa, the receiver may never receive any data that is transmitted by ground crews in either the ground or airborne mode. It may also be noted that with very large distributed antennas, the external coupler itself must be very large in order to provide sufficient coupling to the receiver. Thus, it may be seen that the need exists for an effective missile communication system that permits communication with the missile while it is still in its on-ground cannister as well as to provide an efficient communication link with the airborne missile.